Former UFC champion gets custom-built Chieftain in Forged finale
You might know Cody Garbrandt from the Ultimate Fighting Championship, but outside the Octagon, it’s the roar of a motorcycle engine that keeps him grounded.
Garbrandt, who won the UFC Bantamweight Championship in 2016, says ridding offers him a rare sense of freedom and focus — a side of him that fans rarely see, but one that fuels the fighter in unexpected ways.
Participating in Indian Motorcycle’s Forged custom build program, Garbrandt was the recipient of an all-new, custom 2025 Indian Chieftain PowerPlus — built and designed by renowned custom bike builder Satya Kraus of Kraus Moto. Kraus designed Garbrandt’s bike to mirror his personality: aggressive, fearless, and always pushing the limit.
“My riding style is kind of like my fighting style,” says Garbrandt. “Everything I do in life is to the redline — pushing it to the barrier.”
“This bike is a straight street ripper. There’s no BS. No glossy paint. There’s no fancy ‘this or that.’ It’s classy, but it’s mean and it’s all about business,” says Kraus.
Kraus outfitted Garbrandt’s Chieftain with BST forged carbon fiber wheels, a full Kraus KR8 inverted front end featuring Ohlins Racing suspension. It features Kraus billet aluminum brake calipers with stock Indian rotors, and a one-off stainless steel exhaust pipe from FAB28 Industries.
A custom Saddlemen seat, stainless steel moto-style bars and risers, with the Hart Luck Kraus pull-back plate, set up Garbrandt with comfortable, aggressive ergonomics. The bike also includes Denali lights, a custom derby cover with Garbrandt’s “No Love” nickname, and chopped saddlebags to move the design forward and make the bike more compact and aggressive.
This build provided Kraus and his team the perfect platform to prototype a range of new aftermarket products and dial in every detail.
“We’re working closely with Indian and other people within the industry to make sure we have a good aftermarket product set for these bikes,” says Kraus. “We know that’s so important for this industry and that it hasn’t been there in the past. We’re working really hard to make sure that product line is there, and this project and this bike gave us the opportunity to do that.”
Indian Motorcycle’s Forged program is a six-part video series highlighting three unique interpretations of the all-new 2025 Chieftain PowerPlus. While each design and development videos have been published, final reveals are rolling out in July.
